1. Field of the Invention
This disclosure relates to video processing and, in particular, to conversion of monoscopic images to stereoscopic 3D images.
2. Description of the Background Art
Stereo or “3D” videos enhance the illusion of depth perception by simulating stereopsis, thereby creating the illusion of depth through the simulation of parallax. One aspect slowing the widespread adoption of stereo videos, however, is the availability of videos in a stereo format. Traditionally, the primary way to generate stereo videos was to film in stereo using two different cameras angled from different points of view to capture depth information. Due to the difficulty and expense associated with filming in stereo, comparatively few stereo videos have been generated to date.
Furthermore, although it is currently possible to create a stereo video out of monoscopic images, some existing techniques rely on object segmentation to identify objects within an image, and then approximate to determine the depths of the objects relative to the plane of the image. Object segmentation may incorrectly determine the boundaries of objects, causing incorrect depth assignments that make it difficult for a viewer to discern what objects in the image are projected and what objects are recessed. As a consequence, existing techniques are generally not able to create stereoscopic images from monoscopic images that depict the depth of objects in the image in a consistent and accurate manner.